Platen mechanism for heat processing machines



May 5, 1931.

c. A. UPSON PLA'IEN MECHANISM FOR HEAT PROCESSING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1928 INVENTOR BY ZesflQipswz May 5, 1931. c. A. uPsoN 1,803,780

, PLATEN MECHANISM FOR HEAT PROCESSING MACHINES Filed Aug. 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 33 L 55 7 as 1 7 7 /V 36 E z j E E; Z5

INVENTOR May 5, 1931. c. A. UPSON PLATEN MECHANISM FOR HEAT PROCESSING MACHINES Filed Aug. 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENT Cg ark.

Patented May 5, 1931 FATE CHARLES A. UPSON, OF LOCKPORT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE UPSON COMPANY, OF LOG'KPORT, NEW YORK, CORPORATION OF NEVI YORK PLATEN MECHANISM FOR HEAT PROCESSING MACHINES Application filed August 14-, 1928.

My present'invention relates to the manufacture of sheets, slabs, boards, and similar products, particularly when composed in whole or in part of material originally in the plastic state, and which requires an application of heat and pressure during its formative stage, and the invention has for its object to provide a simple,- economical, efficient and convenient machine for accomplishing this work. The improvements are directed in part toward the provision of opposed lower and upper heating elements between which the material being formed or treated passes and more particularly to means for raising and lowering the platens of the upper heating element for various needful purposes.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification. a

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a rather diagrammatic side View or outline view of the sheet forming machine showing the application thereto of heating and pressure elements constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention; V I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the platen portion of a machine showing one complete platen unit and fragments of adjoining units; l

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the machine showing a platen unit and its operating mechanism in elevation from a direction longitudinally of the machine; r

. Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail section'taken on the line l4 of Fig. 3 looking inthe direction of the arrow, and

' Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of parts shown in Fig. 3. V

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Although its advantages and functions are not necessarily limited to such use, the present machine representing one embodiment or application of the invention, has been special- 1y designed for the manufacture of a special wailboard, composed two outer Serial No. 299,560.

paper facings, or linersr, as they are called, and a cellular fire-reslsting and insulating mineral body of substantial thickness therebetween. I It has been discovered that amiX- ture having as the principal ingredient sodium silicate and a filler of finely comminuted or powdered dolomitic limestone provides a suitable body between the paper walls for the purposes of producing such a product.- Such a mixture isintumescent in character, and puffs up into a cellular or sponge-like consistency when confined and subjected to a proper degree of heat. It can later be, hard ened and dried and assumes a solid texture, in which state it is hard and relatively stifl' without being brittle. My invention contemplates producing such'a board continuously in a moving strip or sheet that isfinally cut into lengths. V 1

To first describe in general the mode of manufacturing such aboard in accordance with my invention, and assuming that a board with two facings or liners is to be made (though one liner alone may be used or none at all resulting in a solid plastic product) I provide a supply of paper consisting of two strips which are brought together one upon another and a suitableamount of the plastic material fed between them. This laminated mass is passed between a pair of upper and lower heated platens which presents smooth walls of considerable extent and whose separation regulates the thickness of the product. These platens are heated by steam or otherwise, but if by steam at a pressure of from 125 to 200 pounds, the speed of passage of the material between them being a factor. From the plat-ens the sheet passes in a formative and relatively soft state immediately'into a closely adjacent hardening oven where it is treated by direct contact with aheatedgas. I prefer to use hot air. In this oven the sheet hardens and it becomes set sufiiciently so that it can be manipulated without danger of injury or distortion. 1 am, therefore, able to place and do place just beyond this hardening oven a feeding device preferably in the form of a pair of driven feed rolls, which draw the ma terial all the way from its source at the feed of the machine through platens, past orriclz a slitting and trimming device located between the platens and the hardening oven, and through the hardening oven. Just beyond the feed rollers the sheet may be severed by a suitable cutting device into the desired lengths." With its manipulatioufrom' this point on this invention is not concerned, and hence only such portion of the machine is shown. 7

Referring more particularly to the .drawings, and to Fig. 1 thereof, 1 indicates a suitable bed or base frame-having at the feed end thereof paper rolls 2 and 3 for the supply of liners. The plastic material is'fed-from'a conventionally shown hopper 4c between rolls 5 and 6 beneath it. The paper from roll 2 passes over the top of roll 6 and hence around andunder it in a reverse direction. The paper from roll 3 passes over roll 5 and thence under roll 6 continuing in the same direction, sothat'theplastic material is deposited in suitable quantities between the two liners X and Y, and is held bet-ween them as the threeply mass passes into the platen section.

The platens of this section are made of a plurality .of upper units 7. and lower units 8 spaced apart for the desired thickness. As the sheet emerges as shown at XY from the end of this section, its edges are trimmedby suitable trimming devices 9, and it be slit by another cutter indicated conventionally at 10 in Fig. 4' into twostripsyif desired. It then immediately passes intoan oven 11, where the hardening takes place. 7 Just .beyond this: oven arethe feed rollers '12 suitably driven,'whichpull the sheet through all of the travel'above described'to this point.

I As before indicated, my invention is particularly concernedwith the construction, arrangement, and manipulation of the platen elements 7 and8 relatively to each other to regulate both the thickness of the sheet or board and the amount of'pressure applied thereto. Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the lower-platens 8 are laid side by-side to present asubstantially continuous table or under surface. They extend transversely of the machine and are supported at their endsby projecting perforated lugs 13 resting onsleeves 14 surrounding upstanding guide rods 14 which pass throughthe lugs and which guide rods are suitably adjustable bolted to the main frame 1 by suitable lagand lock nuts '15. These under platens'may be leveled and aligned by means of shims or washers placed'beneath the sleeves I These lower platen elements are hollow and are maintained at a desired steam pressure and hence temperature from intake and exhaust steam pipes 16 and 17 to which they are respectively connected by individual pipes 18 and '19'fitted to suitable nipples 20 and 21.

' The upper platens 7 are preferablyslightly separated fromieachothe'r as-shown and are arranged to be raised and lowered in parallelism with reference to the table constituted by the lower platens 8. For this purpose they are made in sections, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As indicated in Fig. 2 there are'in the present instance four platens to a unit, and they are connected together by a pair of relatively transverse beams 22 bolted thereto at 23. There is one of these bolts 23 secured in the top of each platen. They are stud or guide bolts upon which the beams 22 have alimited vertical play, the purpose of which is to make a lost motion connection that will permit. the upper platens 7 to ride upon their spring supports in a manner about to be described, and yet to be lifted bodily and in unison away from the lower platens 8 by the lifting mechanism later described.

I These upper platens 7 are similar to the lower platens- 8, except that they are, of course, finished off on the under side instead of theupper side. They are provided with perforated lugs 26 at their ends which also engage over and are adapted to slide vertically upon the guide rods 14:. Above the lugs 13 of the lower platens are provided compression coil springs 28 surrounding the rod and-'which in turn support the lugs 26 of the upper platens 7. These springs are of such tension as to support the weight of the upper platens and the upper platen section at a minimum degree of separation from the lowerplatens 8, and again shims maybe used to regulate'this separation by interposing them between the ends of the springs an their abutting surfaces. Each of these upper platens"? is connected by preferably metallic flexible intake and exhaust pipes .29 and 30, respectively, with the steam intake and exhaust line 16 and '17 in the same man'- ner as the lower platens 8.

' The raising and lowering of the several units is accomplished individually through a manually operated mechani sm one of which is supplied for each unit. Uprights31 associated with the main frame 1 at each end of each upper platen section 7 are connected by a bridge beam 32 from which is hung in suitable bearings a shaft 33 projecting at one side ofthe" frames to terminate in a fly wheel 3d having a turning crank handle 35. This shaft is provided with two worms 36 meshing in each instance with a worm wheel 37 splined to a relatively transverse shaft 38 carried in bearings 39 on a bracket extension 40 of the adjacent upright 31.' "Alsofsplined tothis shaft (Fig. 4) is an eccentric' il with which cooperates an eccentric strap 42. Pivoted to the eccentric strap at 43 is a yoke link 44,'two lower ends of which are securedto the lifting beam 22 of the platen unit, as shown in Fig. '2; It will be seenfrom this that by turning the hand wheel, the platen unit 7 may be lifted while maintaining its horizontal position with great mechanical advantage. It

will hold its raised position and when lowered again to rest upon the springs it will be freed to ride thereon independently of the lifting mechanism by reason of the lost motion on the bolts 23.

By this arrangement and construction the platens may be raised at any point for cleaning and other purposes, and if any trouble occurs at any point in the travel of the continuously forming sheet or board, it may be quickly located and that particular unit raised to straighten out the difliculty, all with very little effort on the part of the operator.

I claim asmy invention:

1. A machine for heat processing sheets and boards, comprising in combination, a frame, a lower platen element, an upper platen element, means for supporting the latter in proper spaced relationship to the former, means for heating said platen elements, and lifting mechanism for the upper platen element embodying a hand operated device accessible from one side of the frame.

2. A machine for heat processing sheets I and boards, comprising in combination, a

frame, a lower platen element, an upper laten element means for su) OI'tlIl the latter in proper spaced relationship to the former, means for heating said platen ele- I ments, and lifting mechanism for the upper platen element embodying an eccentric on the frame, means for rotating the same, an eccentric strap and a link connection between the latter and the upper platen element.

3. A machine for heat processing sheets and boards, comprising in combination, a frame, a lower platen element, an upper platen element, means for supporting the latter in proper spaced relationship to the former, means for heating said platen elements, and lifting mechanism for the upper platen element embodying a main shaft having a worm thereon, a jack shaft having a worm gear meshing with the worm, an eccentric on the jack shaft, an eccentric strap, and a connection between the latter and the upper platen element.

4. A machine for heat processing sheets and boards, comprising in combination, a lower platen element and an upper platen element supported in spaced relationship thereto, the upper element comprising a plurality of platens secured together in spaced relationship, means for heating said platen elements, and lifting mechanism for each of the upper platen units comprising eccentrics and eccentric straps connected to the respective ends of the units and means for driving the eccentrics.

5. In a machine for heat processing sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, an upper platen element, and spring supports for the latter maintaining it in a desired spaced relationship to the lower platen element, of lifting mechanism for the upper platen element comprising an eccentric and an eccentric strap having a lost motion connection with said upper platen element.

6. In a machine for heat processing sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, an upper platen element, and spring supports for the latter maintaining it in a desired spaced relationship to the lower platen element, of lifting mechanism for the upper platen element comprising an eccentric and an eccentric strap having a lost motion connection with said upper platen element, said connection embodying headed guides on the platen, a beam cooperating with the guides, and a link connecting the beam and eccentric strap.

7. In a machine for heat processing sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, of an upper platen element embodying a plurality of relatively spaced 

